Finally...

Absolutely pathetic that I haven't posted an update since almost exactly a month ago! I should have waited to post an entry until tomorrow when it would have been exactly a month to the day.

Needless to say, Hayden is a full-time (and very rewarding) job that has certainly kept me from the keyboard for any good amount of time. At least any amount of time that would allow me to post an update of any substance. Right now is no different. She is wiggling around in her bouncy seat at the moment, wide awake and working on a fragranced gift in her britches. She will be thrilled to see that I wrote this later in life.

Since my last post, a lot has happened! I wouldn't even know where to begin so I will just generalize at this point and hope that I can keep up better with my entries from now on.

We have stopped breastfeeding. She was having major problems with the breastmilk which would leave her screaming and crying after every feeding. The pediatrician recommended I cut out all dairy products from my diet to see if that could be causing the problem. After much discussion and weighing the pros and cons, T and I decided to try a soy based formula to see if that would make any difference. And, wow, did it!?! Hayden was like a brand new, happy baby overnight. Literally. We decided to stick with it. I have since passed my pump on to my sister-in-law, "dried up" and moved on to being a formula mom. Hayden and I are both so much happier. The pediatrician reassured me that the best and most important breastmilk that she should have for the immunity benefits and whatnot is the first four weeks. And that is exactly what she got. So I don't feel guilty in the least. As a matter of fact, we both feel phenomenal about the decision!!

Hayden turned a month old on January 26. We had some crazy episodes before her one month birthday. Too much to detail on here at this time...I am on very borrowed time at the moment. But, let's just say that Hayden and I have bonded completely and totally over the last two months!!

Ok, now I am back...just had to take a two hour break from typing to feed, change and play with Hayden. This blog entry could take all day! But that's ok. She is my first priority and number one on my to-do list (followed closely by laundry!!).

Yes, Hayden and I have certainly bonded. We spend the majority of our time together and have really gotten to know each other pretty well. Granted, she still throws me curve balls from time to time...probably more than I'd like to admit. But I try to stay on my toes and learn from her lessons! I used to think T was my boss but I am learning that I now have two bosses! One that pays me and one that rules me! Since Hayden doesn't have an income, I am sure you can figure out who's who!

I think the hardest thing is trying to figure out her whines and cries. Every cry sounds like her hungry cry. The one cry I DO know the difference is the "sleepy but don't want to sleep" cry. That's more of a low whine. A paci and the bouncy seat knocks that out pretty quick!

Hayden is doing GREAT sleeping in her crib at night. She has been sleeping in there all night for about 2 weeks or so. We have both a motion monitor and an audio monitor so I feel pretty comfortable with being in the other room or downstairs when she is upstairs sleeping. There have been nights she has slept from 10 PM until 3 AM and then 4 AM until 7 AM and then there have been nights like last night where she will sleep from 8 PM (her new bedtime) until 12 AM and then up every hour allowing me only about 15 - 20 minutes between putting her in her crib and me getting settled in bed. The weekend was great. The last two nights have been more challenging. But she isn't even two months yet so I am definitely proud of what we have accomplished and what she is doing at this point. Sleeping through the night will come in time. In the meantime, I will pick the crusty sleepies out of my eyes, search the house for all caffeine I can find and keep a smile on my sleepy face. She is worth every bit of it.

Although we have switched to soy, she still experiences gas from time to time and she is still dealing with a mild case of reflux. I do think the formula has helped with both issues quite a bit and she only cries when she's hungry or her belly is bothering her. So it is much quieter around here (especially if I stay on top of feeding her before the crying happens).

I think her next doctor's appointment is March 2 (or sometime around there - the date is on the calendar in the kitchen but that's a lot of leg work for me right now). I am looking forward to seeing how much she weighs, how she looks and to finally get the first round of shots out of the way...that's going to be brutal. Probably more for me than her.

I am going to wrap here while I am ahead! She is sleeping on her belly next to me on the couch. I think her belly was kinda bothering her and she seems to like to lay on her belly at times like that. So, while her eyes are closed, I am going to take care of a few things around the house. As much as I would like to curl up next to her and sleep, I have just way too much to do. It really is never ending but so worth every second. She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and I love her more than my heart or mind can explain. It is one of the deepest loves I have ever experienced.

I am going to try and keep up with this blog because I really want to keep everyone updated on her progress. I also want a diary of her life that she can look at later in her life. So I am on a mission to keep this up as often as possible. Let's see what happens...hopefully another month won't go by!

Look out! February 26 = 2 months!!